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Darkon
Landscape Darkon's weather is temperate but tends towards extremes. Winter is chilly and slushy, spring and autumn are present but brief, and summers are muggy. Spring floods often form standby pills and the quality of water in Darkon is often suspect, most Darkonians boil water before drinking or bathing. The roads in Darkon are an extensive network of cobblestone highways excepting where the requiem made Il Aluk unpassable, roads to bypass it have not yet been completed. Darkon is filled with supernatural phenomenon, most well-known are the grave lights, small orbs of phosphorescence that hover over where bodies are interred, they can seem to preceed rain storms by a couple of hours. Scatebrae are less well known, only occurring In remote locations and only temporary. Scatebrae are wellsprings of magic, the effect, potency, duration, and size of them varies. Though they seem to be no more than 100 feet across and dissipate within hours, then most commonly manifest as areas of silence and of terror. Darkon's moon is part of the most notorious phenomena, regardless of its phase it will never be visible on the winter solstice. Darkonians call this the dark night and believe the divide between the grey realm and this one is thinnest, and that even a faintest candle will be enough to lead legions of the dead to their door. Darkon covers a wide range of ecological niches and Darkonians informally divide Darkon into six regions: regiones caliginosae (mistlands), vallis lacrimarum (value of tears), montes infelices (mountains of misery), paludes terrae (boglands), silva umbrosa (Forrest of shadows), and litus praeruptom (jagged coast). The Mistlands gains its name from the unusually changeable and active misty border, the mist continually shifts and curls and the fog may drift miles inland. The terrain here consists of gently rolling hills, Forrest glades, and sparse yellowed grass. Fog often pools in the valleys hiding potentially anything, and mosses and lichens are common in the sparse sunlight. This area is home to the beginning of the Vuchar river, Nevuchar springs. The Vuchar’s start is a churning pool atop the low cliff overlooking the nocturnal sea. Water flows up the roots of the great tree in a backwards waterfall, becoming purified and freshwater In the process. The upper part of the Vuchar in the Mistlands ebbs and grows in line with the tides, perhaps due to the sea origin. The Mistlands are home to Darkon's elven society, some folk claim that towers of vaguely elven design can be seen in the mists when their borders retreat to their fullest, though travellers who venture there never return. Darkon's elves seldom leave their homes when the mist is thick, they believe that the borders of reality weaken as the mists swell and as such lost travellers may fade out of existence entirely. The Vale of Tears lies where the Vuchar river passes out of the Mistlands and into the Vuchar river valley. The broad and shallow valley is well populated, filled with orchards, farms, county manors, and isolated cottages. Since the requiem undead predators have begun to hunt here and as a result many towns have grown wooden palisades and become crowded. Villagers travel in groups with paranoia to rival Barovians. Continuing south we find the Mountains of Misery, these mountains form the northern end of the Balinok Mountains. The region is filled with tortured rocky formations and dominated by the towering volcanic cones of Mount Nirka and Mint Nyid. The regions dwarves cultivate the rugged foothills, jagged cliffs, and Sandy shores along the coastal edge. South of Mount Nirka is the former land of Arak, nothing more than an abandoned blasted wasteland all but incapable of supporting life. Home only to newly returned miners and roaming bandits, goblins and kobolds. The twin mounts Nirka and Nyid were long thought extinct but have become active since the requiem releasing small amounts of sulphurous smoke and shaking the valleys with tremors. Seers claim the mountains will soon erupt and bring great sorrow to the dwarvern people. Notably the region is home to the Dragon Ebb, called Night Wyrm by Darkonians, “she whose breath withers crops and snuffs out infants in the cradle.” She is hateful and reclusive, many miners leave piles of gold, gems, and oxen to keep her appeased. The Vuchar leaves the vale and enters the low lying basin known as the Boglands, a vast marsh formed among numerous lakes. Following the requiem the eastern part of the Boglands was forever changed, one area is now nothing more than blackened dead trees hurting up from water so salty it is undrinkable. That area is now known as Magnus Palus Salis, great salt marsh. The marsh can not only no longer support life but bodies buried here have been known to rise as undead. The area surrounding Stagnus Lake however now crawls with unnatural life, misshapen unnatural crossed animals abound, mandragorae are becoming more common and caliban births are increasing. Many locals believe the land is cursed and refuse to eat anything grown In the Boglands. The Vuchar then passes through Il Aluk before entering the Forrest of Shadows, after passing through the shroud surrounding Il Aluk, the Vuchar is stagnant sour and dead for much of its course. The interior of the Forest holds isolated cottages, remote logging camps and of course Castle Avernus. Near the Falkovnian border there are a number of knightly estates granted for service that also serve as a first line of defence should Falkovnia invade. The forest itself is deciduous and thick canopies block out most light while the trees bear leaves, ominous shadows and predatory eyes peer out from its darkness. The region's folklore is rich with tales of ash-dappled unicorns, moving tree spirits, magic lakes, siren song werewolves, and even a bell tower that got up and moved before falling to its doom. Sparse clearings may bear standing stone circles that the werewolves use to lure travellers with their song in the full moon. The forest is home to the Halfling bandit leader Galf Kloggin and his gang, who have managed to evade capture for years. The Jagged Coast sits to the north west of Darkon and bears a treacherous cliff face for its coast and steep hills for inland, the sea here is violent and has battered the cliff face turning it into a honeycomb of porous rock, fissures and flooded caverns, creating the geological menace that gives the region its name. Splinters of rock will fall off and crash into the angry sea of sorrows, while further inland sinkholes may open up swallowing people and buildings. The region is sparsely populated apart from Mantira bay. Stories of sinkholes filling with seawater and dark eely shapes pulling victims underwater have led locals to believe that sea monsters are undermining the whole region. Law The wizard-king Azalin Rex rules Darkon with an iron fist in a velvet glove. His rule is harsh but he has set up a strong feudal base for his monarchy. Barons rule each major settlement and are allowed to rule as they see fit--they have their own vassals, set local laws, appoint magistrates, and control trade. Azalin's presence is felt amongst the populace through his secret police, the Kargat. This secretive organization is feared by all Darkonians and answer only to Azalin. Population Darkon boasts a large and diverse population, some of which is likely due to the reagions ability to ‘claim’ visitors to Darkon if they remain in Darkon long enough. The time required seems to vary between a month and a season, before the person's memory are drained away over an hour and replaced with an entirely new past that makes Darkon their origin. This rewriting never alters the core of who a person is, and ties between people claimed at roughly the same time are preserved but any ties to other reagions are invariably erased. Darkonians are aware of this phenomena but consider it a taboo subject to speak of, instead they declare Darkon a crossroads where many rediscover old roots. These false memories fade when one leaves Darkon, and many Darkonians find themselves reluctant to leave, lest they discover the life they knew was a fabrication. Class is heavily entrenched in Darkonese culture, most are peasant farmers, labourers or servants. A middle class of merchants and artisans exist amongst a locally influential trade guild system, topped by the upper class, who serve Azalin. Darkon is a strictly patriarchal society and women trying to fit masculine rules often find themselves ignored. Female doctors and constables are becoming more common but all start with a strike against them. Despite all this, social advancement is possible if one has sufficient talent and ambition, education is seen as key to advancement. Darkon's poorest often live in squalor but orphanages and poor houses guarantee the bare necessities in food and shelter. Darkonians place emphases on marriage and genealogies, women are expected to marry by 20 and men by 30. Those who don't are seen as frivolous or married to their work. Divorce is illegal but widowed partners can remarry. Elves are an exception entering into a ‘life bond’ that must be renewed after 10 years and often do not renew after a century, and dwarves consider both divorce and remarriage abhorrent. Appearance Darkonian humans are very diverse appearance wide thanks to the large immigrant population. The non-human population however displays less diversity. Dwarves are stocky, coarse, and trend towards earn tone for coloration. Elves are willowy with dark hair, vulpine features, and eyes of green grey or violet that reflect the light like an animals. Gnomes are small, spindly, fair haired, with unusually large blue eyes, and with skin prone to tanning and wrinkling. Halflings here resemble nothing so much as slender human children. Darkon's men often wear hair short, but longer is not uncommon, the women are the exact opposite. Hair is kept neat often with sparse braid/s in amongst lose hair. Darkonians prefer practical clothing in earth tones. Wearing long coats in cold weather. Long flowing robes, cloaks, gowns, and high leather boots are status symbols. With embroidery and tasteful jewellery being the normal decorations of finery. Chains here have special significance in binding people together or to an office, officials wear chains as signs of their station and necklaces or bracelets often replace rings in marriage ceremonies. Even the fact that the Kargat wear no insignia is significant, they are literally free to do what they need. Attitude to Magic Darkonians lack the superstitious fear of magic that other domains contain, they do however have a more educated fear of magic. They understand that magic is responsible for stealing the spark of life from death and keeps the grey realm at bay. But they know that magic is all it would take to return life to death. Darkonians often do not see complicated arcane magic even with this uneasy acceptance, and Darkon's wizards jealously guard their knowledge as secrets lose their power when shared, so magic is usually only used for specific purposes such as to intimidate. As such Darkonians have a common saying: “the day you see magic is the day you die”. Attitudes to Others Darkonese people are largely unconcerned with other realms, foreigners will attribute it to a lack of curiosity or a smug sense of superiority, but the Darkonese might say “why bother with the rest of the core when the core has come to us?” as such Darkonese culture is barely felt beyond the borders. Falkovnia Falkovnia and Darkon have a lot of animosity to either but as Falkovnia is Darkon's only land route to the southern core trade grudgingly continues through Falkovnia. Darkonians demonize Falkovnians as jellies bloodthirsty slavers thirsting for Darkonian blood, those bearing the brand of Falkovnia will find themselves shunned in Darkon. Lamordia Lamordia has a steady mercantile relationship with Darkon, and there has been small immigration with Darkonian dwarves settling in the sleeping beast, and some Lamordians settling in western Darkon The Necropolis Darkonians view the dead city of Il Aluk as a seeping wound on the land, a failed invasion of the grey realm. While some would like to see the city one day free of the shroud, most would be just as happy to see it destroyed entirely. Names -'Darkonian Male Names': Ardmor, Boyce, Estran, Gilos, Jakome, Ragnol, Tullus, Varian, Wat, Xanthus -'Darkonian Female Names': Aldea, Catalin, Francesca, Gisele, Imogen, Marguerite, Ondyne, Serilda, Virdisia, Zezilia Religion Darkonian spirituality is deeply rooted in Darkon's mythic origins and the Grey Realm. Darkonians believe that the mortal realm was stolen from the grey realm and that legions of the dead well one day reclaim it. Darkonians accept that the world will one day end, and the Grey Realm makes for an uncomforting and amoral afterlife where the dead are apathetic and moved only by the memory of what they have lost. Darkonians revere their dead, intering them in elaborate cemeteries, though this is mostly done to appease the dead and hope that they do not covet the homes of the living. The borders of cemeteries are clearly marked and it is thought that the first corpse interred is said to become a Grim guarding the border, in most cases a dog is sacrificed to fill this roll. The Eternal Order Darkon's state religion was created around sixty years ago. Its priests, called Sentinels, were exempt from baronial law. Darkonians still adhere to the doctrine but have always resented the intrusions of the church into daily life. The church adheres to a strict hierarchical structure where clergy are promoted for competent obedience. The Order's last high priest was slain in the Requiem and the hierarchy has dissolved in numerous internal struggles. What few churches remain active are now largely autonomous as a result. The Order has two main holidays: the Festival of the Dead, where Darkonians celebrate the mythic deluge of life, parading round in macabre costumes to enact the retreat of the dead; the second celebration is the previously mentioned Darkest Night, clergy spend dusk till dawn intoning a rite called the Requiem to keep the dead at bay. Ezra The Church of Ezra is the most popular newcomer religion to Darkon, and individual churches often adopt local practice. The churches observe all of the Eternal Order’s holidays. It was not until the Requiem that the church gained real footing in Darkon, as Bastion Raines' dire predictions suddenly seemed all too real. The Overseer Appearing in Mantira Bay just over a century ago, the Overseer stresses the importance of community and offers hope for overall divine Justice. The church wields no official power and depends on donations to run its charities; though the clergy, called Witnesses, wield considerable power over the hearts of those in Mantira Bay and have begun to spread the influence to outlying regions.